Vincenzo Cuoco

Cuoco, Vincenzo (vēnchānˈtsō kō-ôˈkō) [key], 1770–1823, Italian political philosopher. A lawyer, he was exiled (1799) from Naples for his part in establishing the Parthenopean Republic. In the Napoleonic era he was counselor to Joseph Bonaparte and minister of finance under Joachim Murat. His Historical Essay on the Neapolitan Revolution of 1799 (1801) predicted Italy's gradual reunification; the views presented became central to the philosophy of the Risorgimento. He also wrote a study on the Italian Renaissance and one on ancient Greek settlements in Italy.